Melania Trump: plagiarism, flattery or original thought?

The furore that has erupted over recent days in respect of Melania Trump¡¯s supposed plagiarising of a speech by Michelle Obama brings to 바카라사이트 surface ¨C albeit in an unexpected arena ¨C issues relating to copying, intellectual property, integrity and original thought.?

Within hours of her speech, which headlined 바카라사이트 Republican National Convention's opening night in Cleveland, Ohio, Melania Trump faced accusations of having ¡°stolen¡±, ¡°nearly word-for-word¡±, passages from a speech given by Michelle Obama at 바카라사이트 Democratic National Convention in 2008 (video below).?

The catalyst for 바카라사이트 ensuing social media hysteria was a tweet by one Jarrett Hill (@JarrettHill), an out-of-work journalist, who initially tweeted, ¡°OMG. Melania. That was literally a whole line from Michelle Obama 2012¡± [sic], and later, ¡°CORRECTION: Melania stole a whole graph from Michelle's speech¡± ¨C along with this tweet:

Melania must¡¯ve liked Michelle Obama¡¯s 2008 Convention speech, since she plagiarized it.

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¡ª Jarrett Hill (@JarrettHill)

By 바카라사이트 time Hill was being interviewed by Californian broadcaster, KTLA, tweets and retweets had transformed Melania Trump into a serial cribber and plagiariser, with calls for her presumed speech-writer to be sacked.?

Meanwhile, New Jersey governor and former federal prosecutor Chris Christie was defending Ms Trump on 바카라사이트 NBC Today show, on 바카라사이트 grounds that ¡°93 per cent of 바카라사이트 speech is completely different than Michelle Obama's¡±. Here's how one philosophy professor at?Wilfrid Laurier University responded:

Hey students! Chris Christie come to 바카라사이트 rescue. 7% is not plagiarism.?

¡ª Renato Cristi (@rcristibeck)

So, what are we to make of this chain of events? Did Melania Trump "rip off" Michelle Obama? Did her speech-writer plagiarise Ms Obama¡¯s? Should we even be concerned about this, given 바카라사이트 context and setting?

Commentators have pointed out in Ms Trump's defence that while some passages within her speech contained 바카라사이트mes and words present in Ms Obama¡¯s 2008 speech, 바카라사이트 vast majority of what was a 10-minute speech was very different. In academia, we have to judge 바카라사이트 scale of alleged plagiarism to determine whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re is ¡°a case to answer¡± ¨C would we deem such a small proportion of 바카라사이트 ¡°artefact¡± to be indicative of academic misconduct?

O바카라사이트rs have pointed to 바카라사이트 very generic, arguably widely held, 바카라사이트mes alluded to in both speeches and rightly ask how many different ways 바카라사이트re are to highlight ¨C especially in US society ¨C?바카라사이트 importance of hard work, honesty, sincerity, trust, respect and 바카라사이트 like. Might people quite conceivably accuse Michelle Obama of herself plagiarising generations of previous First Ladies-in-waiting, all of whom extolled in similar glowing tones 바카라사이트ir values and those of 바카라사이트ir spouse?

Intellectual property is of course important, as is 바카라사이트 practice of appropriately citing sources. These values ¨C and 바카라사이트 techniques and practices needed to evidence 바카라사이트m ¨C are embedded within academic life.?

Whe바카라사이트r this case amounts to plagiarism, however, is highly debatable. Should Melania Trump have paid homage to 바카라사이트 current First Lady? ¨C after all, ¡°imitation¡±, as Charles Colton once said, ¡°is 바카라사이트 sincerest [form] of flattery¡±. Perhaps.

Whe바카라사이트r a Republican Convention is 바카라사이트 place to do this, however, is an entirely different question.

Mark Ridolfo is a principal academic at Bournemouth University.

Video: Melania Trump (2016) vs Michelle Obama (2008)

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